


Disagreement

by orphan_account



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, F/M, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-18 15:45:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5933842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look at just how deep Jacob & Evie's relationship goes. AU, because assassins from other games are included as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a one shot about a look at the Frye twins from some of the other assassins' views (hence the AU in which all assassins are in the same time period), but turned into a deeper look into their relationship with each other.  
> I know it doesn't really make sense to have Edward and Haytham/Connor in the same time, even if it's AU, I only realized that when I was halfway through the story.  
> I've only just started playing AC Syndicate, so I apologize for inconsistencies between the twins in my story and the twins' story in the game.  
> I am not a native speaker, so feel free to correct me anytime!  
> Edit: I have now started posting 'Not good enough' as a short prequel to this story, which will only focus on the twins' relationship!

„Locked", Connor grunted in frustration.

„Well, what'd you expect? Frankly, I'm surprised you made it this far, expecting every piece to be handed to you on a silver platter", Haytham mocked as he retrieved a tension wrench and went down on one knee to pick the lock.

The air was freezing cold and cut into their lungs at every breath they took. The first gushes of wind blew around them; the storm could be only a few hours away now, as the temperature dropped dangerously low. Everyone felt it.

After fidgeting around for several moments, Jacob was the first to speak out. "What the hell is taking so long, old man?" "Jacob!" Evie scowled at him. The two of them being the youngest among the group they were already deemed too inexperienced and petty to join the mission. Jacob didn't have to enforce the other's opinions on the twins by displaying impatience and, well, anything but stealth. He didn't care what the other assassins thought of him or his skills and Evie hated to admit that she envied Jacob for that. Unlike him she had tried from the first moment on to prove to the men that the twins were just as capable assassins as they were. The fact that she was the only woman among them only served to enforce her resolution. From day one she hadn't shied away from volunteering for the more risky assignments. Neither had Jacob, but he did it simply because he never turned down an opportunity.

Haytham cursed, drawing her attention back to the door. "It won't open from here." He looked at the lock with displeasure, as if it had mocked him.

Automatically seven pairs of eyes scaled the wall, scanning for the best way up and over the wall.

"No" Connor stated firmly, bringing everyone's attention to him. "We can't all sneak in from above, we'll draw too much attention. One of us goes in through one of the windows and opens the door for the rest of us from the inside." No one argued.

Before anyone could make any other move Arno brushed passed them and was already halfway up the façade. He seemed to be flying with the speed and agility he displayed as he made his way up and over to the nearest sill. Evie wondered if she moved with as much grace as he did as she watched him silently disappearing through a window.

Another gush of wind tucked at her coat and she pulled up the collar. Jacob stood close to her, shielding her from some of the wind. Whether he had moved to her side or she had stepped into his shadow she didn't know or notice.

Detecting movement in the corner of his eyes Edward looked over to the Frye twins. Trying to distract himself from the cold he regarded them individually and realized he had never actually done so before. They always seemed to be one, their bodies fitted together like two pieces of a puzzle as they stood next to each other. When he moved, she moved and when she stilled, so did he. In fights they complemented each other perfectly. As straight forward and hard Jacob faced his foes Evie was swift and fluent. The only thing that they clashed on was their constant quarrels and quips. Jacob reminded Edward of himself when he was younger: fast and full of energy, ready to strike. Evie on the other hand was the cool and calculating one, putting the brakes on Jacob when he was too brash.

Suddenly Jacob caught Edward's gaze. He knew Jacob liked him and he couldn't help liking the lad as well, they were too much alike. Nevertheless, Edward had been one of the assassins to speak up against the twins' joining them. He only expected them to slow them down. But they'd proven themselves stronger than expected. Edward thought back to the disaster that was their night in the new town. They had gotten separated and hell unleashed. Jacob was ambushed and considerably hurt, Evie captured, presumably tortured – she hadn't talked to them about that night yet – and almost executed and Edward nearly drowned. But Jacob had stood his ground and Evie kept her cool.

And even though Ezio shamelessly flirted with Evie, Edward never regarded her as anything other than an assassin and a definite part of Jacob. He knew that Jacob knew that, which was why they got along so well, whereas Jacob and Ezio clashed just as often Jacob as clashed with Evie.

The lock rattled and drew everyone's attention to the door. A second later Arno opened it and beckoned them in. The relief to get out of the cutting cold was almost palpable among the group as they stepped into the hallway.

"Let's work our way from the top down", Ezio said, keeping his voice low and they silently started to make their way up the stairs, with Arno scouting ahead, to detect any residents that might still be awake, before they were detected first.

Contrary to the other assassins Ezio had had no objections to the twins joining the group for the mission. Rather, he was eager to see what they were capable of, thinking back to when he was their age not too long ago. Having a girl in the group suited him just fine as well and he'd made it obvious to her on numerous occasions, despite her brother always regarding him with a sour stare. But, just like Jacob and despite Evie's lack of reaction towards him, Ezio wasn't one to back down too easily. The way she styled her hair in a bun in the back reminded him too much of Cristina and he wanted to run his fingers through it and remember the warm nights of Florence. When he'd had a good life with his brother.

As they ascended the last flight of stairs Haytham turned around and went ahead, as if to take the lead. "Alright, we go over every, and I mean every, room with a fine-tooth comb until we find the logbook. Once we have it, we can happily depart and go our separate ways. Shall we?" With that he turned around to enter the first door within view. "You are not leaving with your precious logbook before we have found the map" Connor said with an edge to his voice, grabbing Haytham's shoulder and pushing him back as he marched past him. Haytham narrowed his eyes at him, but said nothing as they entered the first room.

Jacob eyed Haytham out of the corner of his eyes. He still didn't understand why they'd found it necessary to make a deal with a Templar. If it had been up to Jacob they would have found the house on their own even if it would have taken them months to do so. He didn't know what in the name of God the Templars wanted with the Trading Company's logbook, but he happily would've burned it, just to spite them. But, in this instance, it wasn't up to him, so he moved over to the cabinet Evie was rummaging through and started looking.

After two more floors and 12 rooms they'd turned upside down Arno frustratedly slapped the papers he'd been looking through onto the mahogany desk standing in the corner of the downstairs office. "Why would they even hide the map in an old residential house, where everyone could march in and take it?"

"Because, as you so plainly demonstrated, no one would expect them to hide it here. Keep looking!" Haytham snapped. Considering, as he understood from Connor, he was among the best assassins the brotherhood housed, they seemed rather naïve. He did expect more. They were young, idealistic and hence foolish. Just like Connor. And especially the twins. It was uncanny how close they were given they were brother and sister, moving with each other as one, as they did. However, Evie's simple natured beauty was not lost on him. Nevertheless, he appreciated her face from afar, being aware of the silent battle that went on between her brother and the cocky Italian. A petty thing.

"Well, if no one else is going to say it, I will. The map is not here! Nor is the bloody logbook, for that matter", Edward scuffed. Almost relieved someone had spoken out, everyone put down whatever they were looking at and turned to face the group.

Ezio turned to Haytham. "You fed us the wrong information, estraneo!" "I assure you, I did not", Hatyham scowled back. "We have to keep looking, it has to be here!" When Ezio straightened his back and took a step towards Haytham, the latter turned to Connor. "Connor, would you mind putting your guard dogs on a leash? We do not have time for this nonsense! It's almost dawn and the lot of you have gotten us nowhere!

If I didn't know better I'd say you're all common sellswords. Useless", he added, more to himself.

"Takes one to know one", Edward coolly replied, just as quietly.

Jacob turned from the conversation that had started to become heated. He was getting frustrated, all he wanted by now is get the bloody hell out of here before the snow storm hit and would trap them all here forcing them to hide from the residents in some cold, damp cellar. He let his fingers run through the junk of papers that were strewn all over the desk. There were account records, inventory lists and on top a notice to the maid, to wake the landlord as soon as a message from Vienna flew in. He tossed the note aside and was about to grab the next stack of paper, when he stopped midair. As soon as a message flew in?

"Did you see a pigeonry anywhere around the house?" he asked, nudging Evie to draw her attention away from the argument. "I think we would have noticed a pigeonry, Jacob" Evie responded. "Then where would that be?" Jacob asked smugly, holding the notice under her nose, before she could turn away again. Reading it her eyes lit up. "My, Jacob! Who would've thought you capable of drawing logical conclusions in that thick head of yours" she smiled triumphantly. Before Jacob could retort Evie had taken hold of his coat and dragged him with her out of room back to the staircase.

"Where are you going?" Arno hissed, seemingly the only one to take notice of their sneaking out. "There has to be some secret entrance to an attic, that we missed somewhere on the top floor" Evie beamed, flying up the stairs taking two steps at a time. "How do you know?" Arno huffed, while Jacob and he struggled to keep up with Evie's pace. Reaching the top floor and catching their breath Jacob handed him the notice. Arno nodded. "You have a better eye than all of us together, it seems."

"Did you hear that, Evie?" Jacob grinned. "I have-" – "Yes, Jacob, I heard it" Evie huffed, already sweeping the wooden ceiling boards and knocking on walls to find any sign of a hidden door. Jacob's grin only grew wider as he looked up and immediately detected a short string tucked tightly between two wooden boards, almost out of sight. Reaching up he worked the string out and pulled. With a little clatter a trapdoor fell open, almost hitting Jacob in the head. Stretching his arms and grabbing the edges he pulled himself up effortlessly. Arno followed, pulling his body through the little door with grace.

"How did you know that?" Evie grumbled, ignoring the hand Arno offered to help pull her through as well. "Where do you think I hid all the food I stole from the kitchen?" Jacob answered proudly. "You could have told me", Evie said almost hurt. She still remembered the nights when they were kids, when she'd slip under Jacobs blanket and they devoured together whatever sweet things he'd snuck out of the kitchen. Initially Jacob had brought something else every night. One night it would be a piece of soul cake left over from All Hallows' Eve, another he'd bring toffee or fruit. However, when he discovered that Evie always devoured the buttery shortbread fastest, he brought her one every night. At first, Evie had scolded Jacob for stealing from the kitchen and rejected anything he'd offered her, not wanting to defy her father. But that resolve soon melted away and she'd always climbed into Jacob's bed right after the lights in the little house went out, waiting eagerly for him to return with the night's spoils. Even after the cook had long since discovered that things were going missing and locked everything up, Jacob had still brought her shortbread for several nights. She later found out he had hidden a whole stash of them somewhere in the house, but he had always refused to tell her where he had his little hideout.

They looked around. The attic held three little pigeon cots, but each one was empty. Other than that it looked a lot like the office they'd just been in. Two desks on opposite walls that were full of stacks of paper were flanked by tall bookshelves. It was almost as cold as outside, the wind howling loudly through every crack and crevice in the planks.

Arno lit the oil lamp standing on one of the desks and in the dimly lit room they took a closer look around. Deserted papers and even books were strewn all across the floor and it everything was covered in a fine layer of dust. Except one little cupboard whose thick brass knob shone in the light of the lamp, polished from frequent use. Jacob saw it the same moment Evie did and a wary feeling overcame him as Evie reached for it. The situation seemed familiar to him, even though he couldn't assign a memory to it, and somewhere in the back of his head a feeling of alarm prodded his mind. Then it hit him like one of his sister's well placed punches.

"Evie, no!" he shouted, grabbing for her arm that was pulling the cupboard door open and letting his whole body weight hit her out of the way as he flung himself in her place with one smooth step to the side. The cupboard door flung open and Jacob only heard the sharp whiz of a string being released before something hit him in his thigh. He looked down; a dart stuck into his flesh, so small it hardly hurt when he reached down as if in trance and pulled it out. Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone becoming bigger and bigger. He tried turning his head but he couldn't feel the muscles in his neck. His whole body was gone, he felt like his head was the only thing still remaining. Suddenly something hit his back and he tried to turn around to see who had hit him. It was the floor. An intruding feeling of fear and surprise settled in him. Why was it so quiet, where was everyone? He tried lifting off whatever it was that was now draped around his eyes, but there was nothing. That's when he realized he couldn't see. "I can't see" someone next to him said bewilderedly.

"Evie, no!" Jacob shouted and before Evie could react he crashed into her, the force of his body weight sending her flying back. She was about to rant and rave at her brother as she struggled back onto her feet when the sight of Jacob cut her short. He'd pulled a dart from his thigh and stared at it. "Jacob?" He didn't react. His brows were furrowed as if he tried to remember something from very far back in his mind. Behind her Haytham heaved himself through the trapdoor, the other assassins following closely behind. "If you have made it your objective to wake the house you are doing well!" he hissed, but Evie didn't hear him. Jacob had suddenly dropped to floor, a look of bewilderment settling on his face and time painfully slowed down. "Jacob!" Evie screeched and scrambled over to him, taking his face into her hands. "What is it, what's happening? Talk to me, Jacob, what's happening?" Her tongue felt incredibly heavy, as if it took her twice as much time to move. He just stared ahead, his hands sweeping blindly over his face. "I can't see" he said. She couldn't hear fear in his voice, just astonishment. Then he closed his eyes and stilled. "What? Jacob?" Evie shook his shoulders trying to make him look at her again, but he just lay there heavily. She felt bile rising in her throat as she dropped forward and pressed an ear to his chest, but all she could hear was her own heart pounding loudly in her ears, rendering her unable to distinguish between her heartbeat and his. Her hand that rested on his chest, however, was completely still. It didn't move with the rise and fall of his chest the way it usually did when she was resting next to him, listening to his deep breathing when she couldn't sleep. That's when the bubble that had encased her and slowed everything burst, time resolved it's normal fast pace and she took in her surroundings again.

"He's not breathing!" Evie screamed. "He's not breathing, oh my God, Jacob!"

Out of the corner of her eye she faintly registered Arno grabbing something from the cupboard and then he was next to her on the floor shoving her hands aside, which had violently clutched Jacob's coat. Out of instinct to protect her brother Evie grabbed for the knife at her thigh as Arno loomed over Jacob. With swift hands Arno pushed Jacob's coat and vest aside, ripped his shirt open and after only a millisecond's hesitation jabbed a syringe into his chest. Then, throwing the syringe aside, he put his right hand on top of his left and, using his body weight, started pressing into Jacob's chest right above his heart, in short, hard compressions.

"What are you doing?" Evie cried, ready to tackle Arno off of Jacob. "I'm trying to spread the antidote through his veins" Arno replied with a concentrated, pressed voice, continuing his compressions on her brother's chest. Evie had no idea if what he was doing would have any merit, but she didn't stop him, too numb to think of anything else. She grabbed Jacob's limp hand, squeezing it between her own, as the rush of her blood in her ears became louder and louder with each second that passed. "Oh my God, Jacob, please, wake up, wake up, please" she whimpered.

Six seconds after Arno had injected Jacob with the antidote and started to do compressions on him, he drew in a barely audible breath. For six seconds Evie saw years and years of her brother's life pass before her and these six second held their own little eternity in their hands for Evie as time stretched out and her gaze was fixed on her brother's face that so seldom showed no expression at all. Then his lips parted and his chest rose a little and fell again on its own account as he drew in his first breath. "Jacob" Evie whispered as time stretched yet again as Arno stilled his compressions and they both waited for Jacob to continue breathing. He did.

The next second his eyelids fluttered and then opened. Evie shattered completely. "Jacob? Jacob! Oh my God, Jacob, you stopped breathing, you stopped breathing" Her tears wet her brother's face as she bent down and placed shaky kisses all over his forehead, his cheeks and his lips. "You stopped breathing, you were gone, Jacob, what did you do" she sobbed, her voice cracking.

"Be careful" Jacob whispered hoarsely, "those darts are painful bitches." He tried raising his arm to put it around Evie and was relieved when it obeyed his command. His sister laughed shakily under tears. "Do you want to sit up?" He nodded and Evie clutched his forearms, carefully pulling him onto an upright position. Two more arms supported his back and glancing behind his shoulder he saw Arno, his face white as a sheet and a fine sheen of sweat covering his brows. Jacob wondered what exactly had just transpired here.

As soon as Jacob was on his knees Evie flung her arms around him, her nails digging into his flesh as she clutched at his shoulders, as if he'd slip away from under her arms any second. "You were gone, Jacob" she sobbed again, her hot tears falling onto his neck and trickling down into his shirt. "No, I'm right here" he said as he buried his hand in her hair, holding her tightly.

It was dead silent, except for Evie's heavy sobs, and no one moved as the other assassins stared down at the twins sitting on the floor holding each other.

Connor felt like Evie's horror of losing her brother seeped into them, taking their breath away as well. Her hands trembled violently, no matter how much she held onto Jacob. Only three days prior Connor had seen Evie with a noose around her neck calmly facing whatever came next: her rescue or her death. When Edward and the twins were captured he was sure the siblings would not hold on to the Brotherhood's secrets, if it really came down to life or death. They were too carefree, too much uninvolved with the Brotherhood and too young to die for it. But he had been gravely mistaken, when, after their rescue from the noose, no Templars stormed the Brotherhood's hideout, as he had expected. They hadn't talked. The Evie that he had seen then was completely different from the one sitting on the floor now, unraveled in her brother's arms. Connor couldn't help but wonder if he would ever love someone as much as she did her brother, that losing him would break her like no measure of physical torture ever could.

He glanced around. No one dared interrupting the two figures on the floor. Even Haytham, who had always beckoned them to haste ever since they had started off together, stood still.

After a while Evie detached herself from her brother and leaned back so she could look into his face. "Can you stand?" Jacob nodded and she helped him to his feet holding onto his arms, in case he should fall again.

"How do you feel?" Arno was the first of the other assassins to break the silence. "Somehow… numb. But other than that fine." Arno nodded. "You'll feel normal again soon."

"Well" Haytham now cleared his throat, "the good thing is: you found it!" He strode over to the now wide open cupboard and took out books and crumpling papers that were stacked in between dishes and plates. "There it is" he said with satisfaction, examining a thin, leather bound book in the light of the oil lamp.

"And there's the map" Edward added, unfolding a crumply sheet of parchment and scanning it. Ezio looked over his shoulder. "That's it, amici, let's go" he agreed. Arno briefly leaved through the other contents of the cupboard, before putting them back, as well as the dart and the syringe, before shutting the cupboard. "Like we were never here" he murmured grimly.

Jacob looked at Evie. Apparently whatever the dart was poisoned with, it had knocked him out dead for a while, but he still wasn't sure what exactly had happened then. He couldn't remember the last time Evie was so unraveled. She looked him briefly up and down as if giving him an inspection. Seemingly satisfied she turned and picked up a knife from the ground and when she stood upright again, her face and posture were again as guarded as they had been since the day they had started travelling with the assassins. He wanted to know what went down just now, but now was not the time, he thought as he lowered himself through the trap door.


	2. Chapter 2

The assassins left the residence through the front door, careful not to leave any obvious traces of their nightly endeavor. The slipped between the trees and the woods encased them like a pit of darkness as if the night wanted to give them all it got before it had to yield to the light of dawn.

"Alright, let's move fast" Connor said, furrowing his brows in worry at the dark, heavy clouds that already hung above them. Everyone pulled up their hood tightly in an attempt to keep the cold from seeping into their clothes and started moving.

They were progressing slowly, the thigh high snow slowing them down and making them trip continuously. Except for Connor who had at some point taken to the trees and moved swiftly among them and scouted ahead every so often.

Edward built the rear of the group, looking back every so often, pretending to watch out for anyone following them. The snow storm had reached such a violent level that he couldn't see beyond a few feet. The farther they advanced the more miserable he got. He could hardly feel his toes anymore and his thighs burned every time his leg sank into the icy snow. He missed the sweet, hot Caribbean sun, the sway of wooden planks beneath his feet and the wheel in his hands; all instead of this unyielding snow.

To distract himself he watched the twins right in front of him. They had to fight to make their way through the snow as much as he did. And maybe it was that, that made them look so much out of rhythm. Every so often Jacob extended his arms to keep Evie steady when wading through a particularly high snowbank. Evie never returned the favour. Something about the synchronicity that came naturally to them when walking next to each other was disturbed. Rather, Edward had expected Evie to cling to Jacob and not let go for the next several days. And yet the opposite was the case. Or maybe it was just the snow.

"We need to take shelter!" Connor shouted from afar, returning to the group from scouting ahead. "I found an overhanging rock not far ahead under which we can rest" he added, letting himself drop from the tree.

"We have to keep moving, we're already way behind" Haytham interjected skeptically.

"Not like this. You're miserable wading through the snow like this, it could become dangerous." Everyone regarded Connor. His clothes were relatively dry and he didn't shiver violently like the rest of the group did. Evie looked up into the trees and wished she could fly from branch to branch the way Connor did, staying out of the deep snow. She missed the hard cobble streets of London.

No one else protested and Connor led them steadily uphill. Suddenly the trees gave way to an open cliff and the assassins had to fight to stand their ground and not be thrown off, as the wind tugged at them a lot harder now without the protection of the trees.

"I'll drop first, there's no way around it. Just hang over the ledge and let go, I'll draw you in" Connor explained and disappeared over the ledge. Everyone ran forward and looked over the edge. "Alright, get going!" they heard him shout from somewhere under them. "I'll go first" Arno said and went down on his knees, skidding forward until he could grab the ledge firmly. Then he just swung his entire body over and hung there for a second before letting go. They heard a quiet thud and then Connor called for the next.

One by one they imitated Arno. Evie's fingers were so frozen, for a second she feared they might not be able to hold her body weight, when she threw her legs over the ledge. She hung there wondering if she'd just fall past them if she let go. But then two pairs of strong arms grabbed her around her hips and waist and pulled her safely into the cave, when she let go. "Are you alright?" Connor asked her. Evie's brows furrowed. "I'm fine" she murmured and turned her back to him, moving farther into the cave. It wasn't deep and offered just enough space for all of them to lie down. In the middle Ezio had already started gathering dry twigs for a fire and Evie sat down and grabbed the flint and pyrite to start a fire. But before she could make another move Arno knelt down next to her and took the stones out of her hands. "Here, let me. Just rest for a bit" he said gently. Evie glowered at him. She knew she had yet to thank him for saving Jacob when she failed to, but she couldn't. Not yet. She was too angry at herself. They'd treated her like a delicate flower ever since they'd left the residence and Evie knew exactly why. That moment when Jacob went down, her mind had gone completely blank. Her ability to make decisions – the right decisions – in a matter of seconds had left her. All she'd done was to cry over Jacob, useless, and if it hadn't been for Arno, her brother would be dead. She had just lost it in that moment, they took pity on her and she hated it.

Ezio looked at her. Under any other circumstances he would have made a joke about keeping her warm. But that look of horror on her face earlier, that desperation at being completely helpless, reminded him of a time, when he had to watch loved family die right before his eyes. And he hadn't done anything either. Ezio also knew very well that the pity everyone took on her now, after she'd involuntarily shown her weak side, made her feel so much worse. So he took the map they'd taken from the residence and tossed it in her lap. "Make yourself useful, carina, start translating" he said gruffly.

Grateful to have something to do, Evie went over to Haytham, away from Jacob who had just sat down, and settled next to him. Haytham hadn't looked at her twice ever since they'd started the mission and only spoke to her when necessary. The need to prove herself to the older man had never left her, but right now his indifference to her was soothing to her soul.

When Evie disappeared over the ledge, Jacob stood frozen to the ground for what felt like hours. He knew his sister and he was very well aware that she was angry at him. They would have a fight coming. For as long as he could remember they had never been able to settle an argument by talking it out, they always fought. Evie always thought she was right and Jacob never backed down, even when she was. What he wasn't entirely sure about was what she was angry about, although he could make a very good guess. He was also aware that the delicacy with which she was suddenly being treated made her uncomfortable and Jacob was surprised and thankful, when Ezio did the opposite.

One of the many advantages the twins had always had for being so close, was that they were never cold at night. When the others shivered and slept as close to the fire as possible, the two of them kept each other warm and had always been content with that. Jacob wondered if he'd sleep alone tonight, when Evie settled next to Haytham.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about expanding this into a full story, but this is the last chapter for now.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the ending (even if you hated it and would like to see it continued differently) and if and how you would like to see the story continued!
> 
> Thank you everyone who read/reviewed!

They waited and slept for five hours until the storm came to a rest and they could move on. This time they moved a lot faster, the daylight making it far easier to find their way. Nevertheless they had to take another break after a four hour's march towards the shore. They hadn't eaten in over 30 hours and the hunger made them both miserable and irritated. On a cold but dry patch of earth Ezio started a fire, while Connor took Edward with him to hunt.

Jacob had long since stopped trying to engage Evie in a casual conversation. They always held council with each other to make sure they were still on the same page on what to do next. The tension between them, however, had undeniably increased and when Evie rolled her eyes at him disapprovingly, when Jacob and Ezio engaged in a conversation about women, he snapped.

"What's your problem, sister?" he exclaimed exasperatedly throwing his hands in the air. Evie, intending not do dignify him with a response, turned to walk away, but he grabbed her elbow and turned her back around. "Let go" she hissed, wrenching her arm free. "We are not doing this now!" she added, glancing sideways towards the other assassins. "Oh yes, we are! I've had it with your self-righteousness!" When Evie looked at him with wide eyes, he realized he had become offensive. Her silent treatment had bothered him more than he had at first realized. Taking a step back and regaining a neutral posture he asked, "What is it, Evie?" more emphatically this time. "You know exactly what" Evie said, looking at him without anger now. Jacob closed his eyes and he took a deep breath. "Evie…" he murmured. "Oh no, don't 'Evie' me! There's a reason, why I always have to clean up after your messy missions! And I'm done, Jacob! I'm done expecting you to hold up your end of the deal, because you never, ever do! Not for the benefit of others and apparently not for mine either."

"It was a reflex, I couldn't help it" Jacob groaned in response. "I know I broke our agreement, I'm sorry and I'll stick to it. But you don't have to blow up in my face, sister, calm down for a bit." Jacob knew fully well that he was just aggravating her now and he also knew that she was right, but if he could turn back time, he would do it all over again. Every step he ever took was measured by whether he was keeping Evie safe. It was always about her, it had always been and would always be. And even though their agreement forbade him from giving his life to save hers, he would never actually let it come to that.

"How is it that when you fuck up I am supposed to take it, but when I go out of my way to save your arse, I am the traitor?" Evie fumed. Jacob knew what she was referring to: The incident that had set the basis for their deal in the first place. And it drove him mad. "Do not compare my taking a bullet for you with what you did!" he shouted. "It was a dart, Jacob, don't flatter yourself, and it is the same thing!" Evie retorted. She watched as Jacob's face flushed red from anger. Bringing this up always hit a nerve in her brother. Good.

The younger twin took a deep breath as if to steady himself; his hands were balled into fists at his sides and anger emanated from him. Connor and Edward had returned and, like the other assassins, they tried to just keep their head down and act as if they hadn't been listening. But as the twins' voices grew louder, acting as if they didn't exist became ridiculous. "Should we give them some space?" Arno asked doubtfully. "I hardly think encouraging them to take out private matters in the open is the right way to go", Haytham said indignantly. They acted just like the children they were. "Let them fight it out" Ezio said with a wave of dismissal with his hand.

"It is not! I was acting out of an impulse, while you made the willful decision to betray not only me, but also yourself" Jacob spat. "I betrayed you? If I hadn't gone out and beyond for you, you would have died!" Evie shouted, out of herself.

"But I didn't sell my own body to a filthy whoremonger on the street!" Jacob shouted, anger, disgust and hurt pouring out of him all at once. Evie and Jacob both felt the line the younger brother had just crossed. He saw Evie's punch coming a long way, but he didn't dodge it and let her hit him square in the jaw. Instead he let his rage fuel him as he lunged at her and they tumbled to the ground. In an attempt to not dignify her brother with a real fight Evie tried to pin him under her and stop the tussle, but this time he cared enough about their dispute as to not let her have the upper hand. But before they could engage three pairs of hands pulled them apart.

Almost ashamed Evie immediately ceased the struggle, when Edward grabbed her around the waist, drew her away from her brother and pulled her to her feet. But, unsure of whether she would attack again, he didn't let go of her yet. The older twin concentrated on her fury so as not so sink to the floor in embarrassment or start to cry for the second time in just 24 hours.

Meanwhile Arno and Connor had taken hold of Jacob, each one holding firmly onto one of Jacob's arms and only letting go, when he stopped struggling towards his sister and resumed to cursing them.

Evie wrenched her arm free of Edward's hold and stormed off, not once looking at her brother, and angry at the tears pricking at her eyes.

-o-o-o-

Evie woke into a semi-conscious state when a cold shiver ran down her spine. Searching for warmth she snuggled closer to her brother. But when that shallow groan that erupted from his chest wasn't the sound of Jacob at all, she woke with a start. The man next to her was Haytham who had stirred in his sleep when she'd nudged him. Evie quickly scrambled a few inches away. It was a little lighter than when she'd fallen asleep and the wind howled a little less. Everyone was asleep, exhausted from their nightly scavenger hunt and arduous journey through the woods. Everyone, except for Arno, who sat a few feet away with his back to the fire and his sleeping comrades, and studied the map. Evie sighed silently and went to sit next to him. "Thank you for saving Jacob in there, I owe you", she said, not looking at him. He turned his head and regarded her quietly. "Of course. You would have done the same for me." "Except that I wouldn't have. Or wouldn't have had to. Jacob knew there'd be a trap" Evie replied quietly. Arno didn't answer. "And then I didn't even once think about an antidote. So no, actually I wouldn't have done the same for you. How did you know there would also be an antidote?" Arno sighed. "The French are no strangers to poisoning others. Usually when you secure something of value with a poison dart, you keep the antidote nearby, just in case." Evie nodded, not saying anything.

They sat beside each other, neither one talking for a few minutes. "May I ask you something?", Arno finally interrupted the silence. "It's a deal we agreed upon some years back", Evie mumbled, not needing to ask what he was referring to. "Jacob was sick. Really sick. We'd just lost father and had not made any friends in London yet. I sent doctor after doctor to him, but every one of them told us the same: Jacob could not be saved. He was having seizures regularly, mixed with fever, and some nights he would breathe so hard that I wouldn't let myself fall asleep in fear of finding him left without breath in the morning." Evie stopped talking to take a deep breath and steady her voice. "As a last resort I went to see an Alchemist in the hopes that he could make something just to ease my brother's suffering. He said he could heal Jacob, but wouldn't accept coin as payment. He wanted me. And I said no. Two days later I came back to him. Jacob had started having episodes in which he would stop breathing. I… paid the alchemist and he gave me a concoction of sorts. A week after that Jacob was fine. But he wasn't fine with me doing what I did to get him there." She paused again. Arno didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue on her own. "He was angry with me for weeks after that. So then we made an agreement. Neither one of us was allowed to give themselves or their lives up for the other. If fate decided it was time for one of us to go, so be it; the other one wouldn't interfere, but instead would have to go on with their lives."

"How could you make such an agreement? Or even attempt to keep it?" Arno asked incredulously. Evie sighed and shook her head. "I guess we were both scared. I was angry at him for being angry at me, but I also didn't know how I would go on living if my brother ever died for me. Neither one of us would be able to stick to their word if it came down to it, I think he and I both knew that. But the agreement made us both feel better for the safety of the other. And we never had to test it. Until now." Evie lowered her head, the tears that she'd held back this afternoon falling now after all. Nevertheless she wiped at them angrily. When she looked back up she was surprised to see Arno smile. "You can be really stupid, the two of you. That's not how love works" he said mildly. Evie nodded absent mindedly. "I never expected him to act on it, but when he practically died under my hands" her voice almost broke, "I just turned the fear into anger. That's what we do" she ended, smiling sadly.

"But there's one thing that I don't quite understand" Arno said, suddenly serious again. "He practically told you that his disgust with what you did is greater than his gratitude for saving him. That he'd rather die than know what you…" Arno trailed off, uncertainly. "That's not what he meant", Evie whispered, turning her head and looking at her sleeping twin by the fire. "What did he mean?" Arno asked, eyebrows raised. Evie looked at him. "If you haven't noticed that by now..."

Without giving him a chance to respond she got up and walked over to her brother. She looked down at him for a minute, before lifting the blanket and lying down next to him. Jacob sighed contentedly and tried to crack his sleepy eyes open. Evie put a hand on his chest and pressed a kiss to his lips. He raised his arm from under the blanket and caressed her cheek, returning the kiss. Drawing back they looked at each other, silently acknowledging reconciliation. Then Jacob wrapped his arm around his twin, as Evie snuggled into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Arno watched them from afar. He wasn't sure if he felt surprised or even appalled at their actions. But really, he wasn't.


End file.
